1A, an American radio talk show produced by WAMU in Washington, D.C. and distributed nationally by NPR (National Public Radio), recently organised a show wherein it got authors to discuss how and why schools ban books. The discussion came hot on the heels of a controversy triggered by a graphic novel called ‘Gender Queer’ after school districts across the United States alleged that the book, an illustrated memoir, contained explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children.
1A got the author of the book ‘Gender Queer’, Maia Kebab, who likes to use e/em/eir pronouns to refer himself, defended the book on the show, stating that the book was written by him as a letter to his loved ones. The NPR’s American Radio Show 1A then went on to show pictures from his graphic novel to justify how the book did not contain any sexual content and was meant for children to understand what androgynous feelings are and how to embrace them.
We’re live for the Writers’ Room, talking about how and why schools ban books with @MirandaRSuarez, @halseanderson, @jackiewoodson, and Maia Kobabe.https://t.co/FHJHFa4rPR
— 1A (@1a) November 11, 2021
The pictures that were shared on the website showed individuals of same sex being attracted to each other. The author and the proponents of the book argue that it provides a guide for vulnerable children who develop queer characteristics and have no content to refer to.
However, social media users and listeners of the radio show were not pleased with the brazen defence of the book that they alleged of being sexually explicit and promoting “pornography”.
Social media users slam NPR for being disingenuous and promoting books that contained pornographic content
One of the social media users said NPR and 1A have not been entirely honest with their viewers and listeners as they withheld controversial images and shared only vanilla images to rail against the ban faced by the book.
Thoroughly dishonest @1a shows only vanilla images from the book, none of the ones that raise objections — like two drawings of a teen giving another a blow job, & several others. @npr isn’t even trying anymore to be fair. https://t.co/Huc3d5u0tg
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) November 12, 2021
The user went on to share other pictures from the graphic novel that contained illustrations of individuals of same gender indulging in sexual activities. “Why didn’t 1A show this image from “Gender Queer”?” the user asked while sharing pictures of two men engaged in oral sex.
Or this image — why not, @1a? pic.twitter.com/5ugK8ZiSHb
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) November 12, 2021
Another social media user also highlighted how NPR had omitted a picture of a fourth-grade student involved in an oral sexual act.
Yet another social media user said that he usually doesn’t believe that mainstream liberal media likes to groom minors for sexual abuse but after 1A’s show, he is inclined to believe otherwise.
Usually don’t believe that mainstream liberal media likes to groom minors for sexual abuse but then this happens@NPR forgets to mention the fact that this book was controversial over containing child porn https://t.co/BF0xgOSFwT
— wallstreetbets and antifa CEO (@OrificeMax) November 12, 2021
School systems across the US face parents’ wrath over inclusion of sexually explicit books such as “Gender Queer” in their libraries
A controversy swept across various school districts in the United States after parents and guardians expressed strong disapproval to the graphic novel Gender Queer being available in school libraries. Recently, some schools in South Carolina pulled the book off the shelves after parents objected to explicit drawings in the book.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has also ordered an investigation into how “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe, which has explicit drawings of sexual acts, was found in the Fort Mill School District.
“These things are dangerous, they’re destructive, they’re harmful and they are against the law in South Carolina,” McMaster said at a press conference on Thursday.
Earlier last month, the book had stirred a controversy after it was found at the Wissahickon High School library. Parents of students studying in the school protested against the school for allowing their pupil access to the mortifying content of books such as “Gender Queer”.
Similarly, in September 2021, school systems in north Virginia had to pull some books, including “Gender Queer” from libraries on the grounds that the book contained explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children. The school board came increasingly under the attack of the parents who accused them of wielding a deleterious impact on children by the dint of providing them with books that contained sexually explicit content.
